woolf



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1-. A.l E. WOOL?.

SECONDARY BATTERY,

No. 418,488. Patented Dec. 81, 1889 .WITNESSES- I l Y @A Cw I l .i

ATTORNEY 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

`(No Modem.

A. E. WOOL?. SECONDARY BATTERY.

Patented Dec. 31, 1889.

WIT NESSES IN VENT UR wwwa/LA7@ (gd/wbb( BY? /L ATTORNEY N. Pmzn, Pham-Umagvzpher. washington. n4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT EDWARD wooLE, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoR 'ro BENNo LoEWY, or sAME PLACE.

SECON DARY BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 418,483, dated December 31,' 1889.

Application filed June 20, 1889. Serial No. 314,991. (No model.)

To LZ-Z whom t 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWARD WVOODF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Secondary Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in plates for secondary batteries; and it consists in the construction of the plates hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which the same reference-letters indicate the same parts in all the ligures.

Figure l illustrates a perspective view of a sheet of lead coveredwith the active material in a flat state, from which sheet so'covered I make my improved plates. Fig. 2 illustrates aperspective view of the sheet of lead covered, as shown in Fig. 1, after having been rolled up into substantially cylindrical form. Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the rolled sheet shown in Fig. 2 after it has been subjected to a flattening operation. Fig. i illustrates the flattened sheet shown in Fig. 3,

- from which one of my improved plates has been cut or sawed, as shown at Fig. 4a. Fig. 5 illustrates an elevation of one of my improved plates having a re-enforcing band of hard rubber or equivalent material placed around it. Fig. G illustrates a vertical transverse section of the plates shown in Fig. 5, taken on the line .fr a of that ligure. Fig. 7 illustrates a side view of a battery-cell the side whereof has been removed, showing the construction of the cell and the relative position and arrangement of my improved plates when in the cell, some of the plates being omitted. Fig. 8 illustrates a top view of the cell and a few of the plates shown in Fig. 7,

` partly in section.

The bestforms of plates for secondary batteries known prior to my invention, so far as I ain aware, are the Julian and the Faure plates. These plates, owing to their peculiar construction, are subject to the followingse rious objections:

First. The chemical action induced by the current during the operation of forming the plates, so called-in other words, the getting them into condition for useful service by repeatedly charging and l(ilischarging them electricallyand even after the plates have been formedj induces a lateral warping or bending of the plates, which is technically called buckling This buckling frequently brings contiguous plaies into contact with each other, which of course results in shortcircuiting the battery.

Second. The buckling of the plates loosens the act-ive material in the grids, which sooner or later becomes displaced. Thus the plates are injured, if not rendered practically valueless.

Third. When these prior plates have become thoroughly formed and in their most valuable condition for service, because then being specially capable of receiving a large quantity ofv current, they become exceedingly foraminated throughout, so much so that they disintegrate and ultimately fall to pieces of their own weight, and frequently they are destroyed during the period of their greatest value because of jars or like disturbing causes, which break them up.

Fourth. The weight of the plates heretofore in use isl much greater than can be conveniently used for practical purposes under many conditionssuch, for instance, as amotive power for surface roads or as lighting medium on moving structures-and is greater than is theoretically necessary for giving the desired storage capacity.

Fifth. The expense of the plates heretofore known, owing to their insufficient durability, is relatively much greaterthan that of my improved plates.

In the manufacture of my plat-es I proceed as follows:

A is a sheet or plate of lead of the desired thickness, and large enough to be rolled up and then cut into a number of separate plates, as hereinafter set forth.

Bis a coating of the active material, preferably litharge, although other equivalent material may be used. It is made into a plastic mass, so that it may be evenly and readily spread upon the lead by admixi'ug it with any suitable'liquid substance. I prefer to employ sulphuric acid for this purpose, be-

' by dotted'lines F.

cause there will then be nothing present requiring subsequent elimination. The litharge or its equivalent is spread on the lead to a thickness'preferably about equal to the thickness of the lead itself. Theneither before or after the litharge has dried, as may be preferred, the sheet of lead is carefully rolled up into the form of a'scroll C, (shown in Fig. 2,) the litharge being rolled in, leaving the lead exposed outwardly. Itis preferably rolled as tightly as may be, so that the lead on both sides touches 'the active material. The scroll-like roll is then preferably placed under a suitable press and is squeezed into a somewhat flattened shape, as seen at C in Fig. 3. The roll may, if preferred, be put into a suitable former` or die during the pressing opera-tion, whereby it will be given such form, square or otherwise, as desired. The application of the pressure to the roll has the effect of bringing all parts of both surfaces of the lead into intimate contact with the active material. The pressed roll is then cut across transversely, preferably with a circular saw, into slices or pieces, which are to form the battery-plates, one of which I illustrate at E, Fig. 4a, and the lines on which subsequent ones may be cut I also illustrate The first and last slices or plat-es severed from the ends of each roll are not always perfect, owing to the partial displacement of the active material during the rolling and pressing operations. The action of the circular saw is such as to draw down a burr from each layer of the lead throughout the saw-kerf, which, overlapping the active material adjacent to it, holds it more firmly in its place. After the separate plates have been formed as above stated the exposed end of the sheet of lead may be fastened in any preferred manner, as by soldering it, and they may be used as battery-plates in their then condition, if desired; but I prefer to strengthen the plates, thereby very greatly adding to their durability, as follows: G is a hard-rubber band or clasp, which is made of such size as to fit snugly around the outer edge of each plate. The ends of the bands areA provided with means whereby they may be drawn together, and preferably the end of the lead clamped between them. I

show laterally-proj ecting ends H Hand a cross screw or rivet I, also preferably of hard rubber, for this purpose. The end of the strip of lead shownat J is freed Vfrom the active material, and, being bent at substantially right angles from the plate,is held firmly in place between the terminals H H of the rubber band or clasp, projecting somewhat beyond them, thus affording a good means whereby the Wire connections can be made. The rubber clasp is preferably made somewhat wider than the thickness of the plate. Thus there are laterally-projecting edges K K (see Fig. 6) at each side of the plate. Thus, when the several plates are put in the cell, as seen in Figs.l 7 and 8, the rubber bands or clasps may be arranged to touch each other at their edges, whereby movement of the plates in the cellwill be avoided, thus reducing liability of fracture. The rubber band or clasp of course insulates each plate from the plates adjacent to it, and in order that the solution inayhave free access to and circulation among the several plates I form a series of openings L in the edges of the rubberbands, through which the solution can readily circulate. The plates should preferably be supported within the cell upon rubber or equivalentbars d a at the bottom and similar bars Z9 at the sides, running horizontally, and vertical bars c at the ends, running vertically. They may, however, rest on the bottom of the cell, or be otherwise supported.

Also, an important feature of my improvement is, that the several plates which are to constitute the double electrode for the cell may be clamped all together, so as to form one structure, which can be slipped into the battery cell or reservoir and otherwise manipulated, transported, and handled much more conveniently than the separate plates can be.

It will be seen that in addition to the foregoing the employment of the rubber band or clasp greatly increases the durability of the plates, because the rubber, being unaffected by the solution, will remain intact permanently, and will hold or sustain the lead and the active material in their proper place for a long time, irrespective of the degree of their foramination or partial disintegration. It will also be observed that the metal of the strip of lead is in several convolutions throughout the plate, and also that it is presented edgewise to the strain of the buckling action. Thus it is enabled to overcome that action, and4 even without the strength-giving rubber band the plates are not deflected Vmaterially from their proper flat condition. It will of course be obvious that the separate plates may be sawed or otherwise separated from the roll, as shown in Fig. 2, without being flattened or otherwise compressed. I prefer to subject them tov pressure, however.

My plates may be made separately by coiling a strip of metal of the desired width into the form of a flat volute, as seen in Fig. 2, at the forward end thereof, and then crowding the active material in place between the several convolutions of the metal. Also,the lead plate, having the active material upon it, as i shown in Fig. l, may be slit into strips of the desired width, and then these strips coiled into fiat volute forms, thus forming the plates.

Having described my invention, I claim.-.

l. An electrode 4for storage-batteries, comprising, essentially, a strip of metal coated with active material and coiled upon itself in such manner that the active material fills all the space between contiguous layers of the metal, substantially as set forth.

,2. An electrode for storage-batteries, coinprising, essentially, a strip of flat metal coated IOO Ido 5 IIO with active material and coiled upon itself ilatwise and in such manner that the active material lls all the space between contiguous layers of the metal, substantially as set forth.

3. An electrode for storagebatteries, comprising, essentially, iiat metal coated with active material and coiled upon itself in such manner that the width of the metal extends across the plane of the plate, and also so that the active material fills all the space between contiguous layers of the metal, substantially as set forth.

prising, essentially, at metal coated with active material, coiled upon itself flatwise, and having all the space between contiguous layers of the metal filled with active material and pressed into oblong form, substantially as set forth.

l5. An electrode for storage-batteries, comprising, essentially, metallic parts separated by interposed layers of` active material, and an exterior sustaining band or clasp, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. An electrode for storage-batteries, co1nprising, essentially, flat metallic parts disposed in such manner that the width of the metal extends across the plane of the plate, active material between adjacent surfaces of the metal, and an exterior sustaining band or clasp of rubber or other material not acted upon bythe solution, substantially as set forth.

7. An electrode for storage-batteries, com prising, essentially, metallic parts separated by interposed layers of active material, and an exterior band or clasp of rubber or other material not acted upon by the solution, and means for drawing' the ends of the band together, substantially as set forth.

S. An electrode for storage-batteries, com prising, essentially,'metallic parts separated by interposed layers of active material, and an exterior band or clasp of rubber or other material not acted upo'n by the solution, the

Y band being Wider than the metal or the act- 4. An electrode for storage-batteries, comive material, or provided with projections which extend laterally beyond the face of the plate, substantially as set forth.

9. As a new manufacture, a roll from which electrodes for storage-batteries may be cut, consisting, essentially, of a sheet metal coated with active material and rolled up upon itself, so that the active material fills all the space between contiguous layers of the metal, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17 th day of June, A. D. 1889.

ALBERT EDWARD WOOLF.

Vitnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, EDWIN C. DUSENBURY. 

